a column of benevolent gossip

'Moving’ moments — Anyone remember Chicago’s Kungsholm Miniature Opera? Bill Fosser of St. Julianna Parish (N. Oketo), got his creative professional start working at that famous puppet theater in 1943 at age 14. He became its artistic director in 1963. Fosser had a successful career as a motion picture art and set director and often designed for live theater. But his “hobby” has always been working with puppets, their settings and stage. His “Opera in Focus” production, now in its 12th year, is done with rare rod puppets, hand carved by Fosser, set in his exquisitely designed “opera house.” Helping to put each nuance in place are Paul Guerra, Will Harder and Tony Mockus. Shows are one-hour musicals, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Performances include a few familiar scenes, ranging from “Aida” to “Porgy and Bess” to “Carmen,” on a stage just 5 feet wide and 2 feet deep, in an air-conditioned theater seating 65, and handicapped accessible. Go to www.operainfocus.com for programs and tickets, or call (847) 818-3220 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and be prepared to be entertained by the magic.


Winners Circle — St. Gregory the Great (N. Paulina), a parish accenting the arts, has its first Emmy award-winner. Parishioner Cliff Grant, line producer for “Starting Over,” a daytime reality show, came away a winner at the Daytime Awards this spring. Sometimes dubbed a “soaprah,” the program on Ch. 50 (WPWR) at noon on weekdays, selects average women who have had setbacks in life and gives them a chance to start over. It began filming two years ago in a rented house near Montrose and Lake Shore Drive and moved to L.A. last year. Grant is an alum of the parish grade school and Gordon Tech High School. . . . Maripat Donovan, co-creator and co-author of “Late Nite Catechism,” and its sequel “Late Nite Catechism 2,” will be honored for her solo artistry as “Sister,” at a benefit for Live Bait Theater and her alma mater Loyola University Aug. 20. Is it true Donovan and co-author Vicki Quade have recently had words on the playground and may have to stay after school and clean erasers?


Move over, Lassie — A Dominican sister and her 12-year-old German shepherd, Gretta, are popular visitors to Addolorata Villa, a long-term care facility in Wheeling. Sister Anne Lindquist is a retired music and grade school teacher who has worked part-time at the Villa. Sometimes she comes just to play the piano for residents and show off her pooch, who holds Companion Dog and Tracking Dog obedience titles and has passed the Canine Good Citizen test as well. This Gretta loves company and doesn’t “vant to be alone.”


Another German “Shepherd” — Father Don Woznicki at St. Norbert Parish (Northbrook), while on pilgrimage in Rome last year, was disappointed Pope John Paul II was not holding private audiences. Woznicki took a walk during the siesta hour one afternoon, and coming toward him on the almost deserted Roman street he recognized Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Woznicki mentioned he wished he could get a picture taken with him. The cardinal happily obliged by bringing him into his office lobby and asking someone to snap their photo.


Pushing for sainthood — Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha is not on a “fast track” to sainthood. She died in 1680 at age 24, a baptized Mohawk Indian virgin, born in upstate New York, who escaped to Canada to avoid being killed for her faith. (Many seasoned citizens learned about her in grade school as the Lily of the Mohawks.) A short prayer could be: “That Blessed Kateri be an inspiration of hope and a call to holiness for all who pray for her canonization.” She is also a patron of finding lost objects. For a prayer card with an artist’s drawing of Kateri, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Church Clips, 721 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, IL 60610.


Beyond Roe v Wade — Project Love is the division of Illinois Citizens for Life that gives limited financial aid to pregnant women and young families with economic problems beyond their ability to solve. Women are screened by crisis pregnancy agencies in the State of Illinois, and referred to Project Love when all other sources of help are exhausted. For more info, call Eileen at (630) 963-8039.


Wanted — School yearbooks to add to the growing collection of high school and college yearbooks (vintage or new), used for family and geneology research at the Tinley Park Library. Help share your memories with posterity. The library, at 7851 Timber
Drive, has a wealth of family tree
resource materials. Current
president of its geneology club is
Bob Tenuta. Call (708)
532-0160 for more info.

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Movies at a Glance
Capsule reviews of movies from the U.S. Catholic Conference's Office for Film and Broadcasting, judged according to artistic merit and moral suitability. Go to reviews